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Hostile entity?

THE Israeli cabinet’s decision to brand Gaza a ‘hostile entity’ will be a step in the right direction only if pushing the suffering 1.5 million Palestinians there completely off the edge is part of the progress chart.

Even if one considers only the recent chronology of their torment, it becomes apparent how their supposed representatives, aggressors and the international community have all had a part to play as they have been reduced to their worst level of suffering in memory.

The West’s ‘democracy in the Middle East’ agenda hit a brick wall in January ’06 when Palestinians in record numbers opted for Hamas at the ballot-choice, inviting the economic-blockade-wrath that ushered in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories. Not much later, the Arab world stood aghast as Hamas and Fatah took to gun battles in the streets, bordering on civil war that insulted more than half a decade of sincere sacrifices on the part of the people.

Even though things have eased somewhat for the West Bank since the Fatah chief ended the unity government, but problems have only compounded in Gaza following the Hamas takeover in June. Israel and the West are apparently OK with taking along only the West Bank as part of their peace dealing for now, but they miss out that in sidelining Gaza they are not only dismissing Hamas, but also the people there.

Now, the ‘hostile entity’ move permits cutting off crucial fuel, food, electricity and water supplies to Gaza. Anyone remotely familiar with the sequence of events will take a fraction of a second to realise how, despite political rhetoric, these moves will harm the common man the most. Yet Israel rolls ahead with such manoeuvres, under the cover of unqualified Western blessing, with reckless abandon.